Concerning the 1896 treeThis tree is by Captain Gunn Braehour, an acknowledged Clan Gunn historian[1] and son of Donald Gunn the sennachy of the Clan.

The tree clearly shows Captain Gunn’s mother (namely Catherine Gunn of Osclay), his grandfather Alexander Gunn of Osclay and his great grandfather John Gunn who was John ‘in Kinbrace’ who married ‘Unknown’ (really Margaret) Gunn daughter of Donald Crotach Gunn. Given Captain Gunn’s tree then proceeds to show the three earlier Kinbrace owners as given by the Sutherland Estate papers held in the National Library of Scotalnd [2] - his 1896 tree has William 1650; Adam Gunn Badenloch Kildonan and Kinbrace 1709 (the date matching the Sutherland Estate document); William (who gives up Kinbrace and the giving up is detailed in the NLS document) – it is logical to assume that the three generations immediately before the Captain are accurate, after all they were in his living memory. Given this, clear descent from ‘Unknown Gunn’ daughter of Donald Crotach Gunn to the Osclay Gunns is, in my view, proven.

When the 1896 Tree and the Sutherland Estate documents are combined we have a William who gives up Kinbrace (both agree) – an Adam who died c. 1709 (both agree) - a William (both agree) circa 1650 – and then in the early years of the 1600s we have disagreement. But the disagreement does not matter as we are looking at John Gunn in Kinbrace’s line as it is descent from the daughter of Donald Crotach Gunn which is central.

All options for the Kinbrace line have descent from William Beag, younger son of Chief Alexander Mackeamish which is further support for this line's descent from the Gunn Chiefs.

So what we have from the 1896 tree is a clear statement that the Osclay Gunns descended from Donald Crotach Gunn the 6th Mackeamish. It is too large to put the complete tree on the site...

[1]Captain Gunn, Braehour … is admitted to be, if not the greatest, at least a genuine, living authority on Gunn questions … It were strange if the captain had not been well posted up in all historic points, seeing that his father, Donald Gunn, Braehour, was the acknowledged sennachy or historian of his time … an unusually leaned sennachy. Thomas Sinclair, The Gunns, Pages 185-186

[2] The Sutherland Estate documents, as already said on this site, give a line of Donald of Kinbrace (1638) - William of Kinbrace (and Achnahow 1658) - Adam of Kinbrace (dies c. 1709) - William of Kinbrace (who gave up Kinbrace) 1714.

Key points of the 1896 Tree –

1)

Reading from the top right hand side to the left handside – Alex farmer Osclay d 1820; his father was John Houstry Dunbeath d. 1780 (being John in Kinbrace); his father being William Taydsman of Houstry Dunbeath d. 1740; his father being Adam Gunn Badenloch Kildonan Kinbrace d. 1709; William Gunn … and so on.​This clearly shows the descent of the Kinbrace Gunns to John Gunn in Kinbrace to the Osclay Gunns, especially when combined with the Sutherland Estate ownerships details of William – Adam -William. ‘Kinbrace’ is stated which matches the line with the Sutherland Estate Kinbrace owners.

2) Main points​1. Alexander Gunn records the birth dates of his mother Catherine Gunn of Osclay (who married Donald Gunn the sennachy of Braehour and Brawlbin) and her siblings, showing Catherine to be the eldest child of Alex Farmer Osclay. Catherine b. 1782; George 1784; William 1789; Robert 1792; John 1796; Margaret 1798; James 1800; Adam 1803; Alex died 1828 Jamaica (DWI or it would have been recorded).

2. Alexander the farmer of Osclay d. 1820 was the only child of John ‘in Kinbrace’ later of Houstry Dunbeath d. 1780

This John is the John Gunn in Kinbrace who married ‘Unknown Gunn’ of the Chief line.

​3. John ‘in Kinbrace’ was later of Houstry Dunbeath and was a son of William Taydsman (tidesman; customs officer?) of Hustory Dunbeath d. 1740.

Kinbrace wadsets in the National Library of Scotalnd give the line Donald of Kinbrace (1638) – William of Kinbrace (and Achnahow 1658) – Adam of Kinbrace (d. c.1709) – William of Kinbrace who gave up Kinbrace in 1714 and is followed by ‘John in Kinbrace’.​This tree supports the sequence William Gunn – Adam Gunn (note the positive identification of Kinbrace and the 1709 date) – William Gunn and is followed by John in Kinbrace.​

4. William was the son of Adam Gunn, Badenloch, Kildonan and Kinbrace d. 1709.

Kinbrace wadsets in the NLS give the line Donald of Kinbrace (1638) – William of Kinbrace (and Achnahow 1658) – Adam of Kinbrace (d. c.1709) – William of Kinbrace who gives up Kinbrace in 1714 – and then ‘John in Kinbrace’.

This tree supports the sequence William Gunn – Adam Gunn – William Gunn and is followed by John in Kinbrace.Note the tree date of 1709 supports other evidence for Adam of Kinbrace dying in 1709.​

5. Adam Gunn Badenloch, Kildonan Kinbrace was the son of William Gunn. Look at the above image.

Kinbrace wadsets in the NLS give the line Donald of Kinbrace (1638) – William of Kinbrace (and Achnahow 1658) – Adam of Kinbrace (‘owned’ Kinbrace 1672 - d. c.1709) – William of Kinbrace who gets Kinbrace in 1709 and gives up Kinbrace in 1714 – and then ‘John in Kinbrace’.

This tree supports the sequence William Gunn – Adam Gunn – William Gunn and is followed by John in Kinbrace and the 1709 date matches the Sutherland Estate documents.

​The use of the word Kinbrace for Adam Gunn, the 1709 death date and the William-Adam-William line makes this part of the tree match the Sutherland Estate documents. Given Captain Alexander descended from this line, and that his father was sennachy, it is logical to assume that he could accurately put on the tree the generations which led to him – namely John his great grandfather (being John in Kinbrace who married Margaret daughter of Donald Crotach Gunn), his grandfather being Alexander Gunn of Osclay, and his parents – Donald Gunn of Braehour and Brawlbin and Catherine Gunn of Osclay.

The tree goes on to show the Kinbrace line also descended from the Chief line and is very much accepted.

FURTHER SUPPORT FOR THIS CLAN GUNN CHIEF OSCLAY LINE

1) Thomas Sinclair Page 126‘William Gun’ of Kinbrace, Sutherland, was served heir-general to his father Adam Gunn of Kinbrace on 7th July 1709’Sinclair adds support to the accuracy of the 1896 tree and the National Library of Scotland Sutherland Estate documents.

2) Thomas Sinclair Pages 120 -121(Chief) Alexander of 1570 had Little William by a second marriage … Little William’s second son William had sons John and Donald, from the former of whom William and Gunns in Osclay, with names unknown. The late Donald Gunn, Braehour was married to a Gunn of Osclay…

This key point here is Osclay Gunns are accepted as coming from Little William; the Kinbrace line. Little William is accepted as the second son of Alexander Gunn (2nd Mackeamish) and brother of William Mhor (3rd Mackeamish).

This extract shows descent from the Clan Gunn Chiefs for the Osclay Gunns is accepted in the main Clan Gunn history text. It also, incidentally, supports Donald Gunn’s marriage to Catherine Gunn of Osclay.

It is worth restating that there is only one Kinbrace descent line according to the Sutherland Estate document.

More support is available - the key is no-one objects to the idea that the idea that the Osclay line descends from Chif Donald Crotach Gunn as no-one cared as it was a female line. It is only of importance now...

OVERALLThe 1896 tree clearly shows a'likely' descent from Donald Crotach Gunn and should have been discussed at the Clan Gunn Convention. I note this likley line merged with the Braehour line which has Clan GunnChief descent and is discussed here.